Burner



3811.22, 1985. N. w. McLEOD f 1,988,851

BURNER Filed July 14, 18933 Patented Jan. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES BURNER Nelson W.` McLeod, st.

I ouisjl Mo., assignorl to Handlan-Buck lManufacturing Company, St.

Louis, Mo., a 4corporation of Missouri Application July 14, 1933, Serial No. 680,393

"5 Claims.

v'This invention relates to a burner intended for use especially in .railway hand lanterns which are subjected'to severe motion in giving signals, and. constitutes an improvement Aon the struc- 5 tures of United States Patents Nos, 1,276,417 .and

'1,879,329, `granted respectively on August 20, 1.9113, and September 27, 1932,r to George H. Rolfes and 'Louis C. Kuehner. The invention has for its object'the production `of a flamespreading burner for a lantern of this kind which is so formed as to avoid extinction of the ame due to currents of iair passing Ain close proximity :to said flame. -v".Fheflame spreader surrounds vand surmounts Ithev 'upper end of the wick tube,` and includes Vprovision therein for the entrance of .air to supply oxygen to a -Iiame burning from. the wick, .and said flame spreader also includes means for so protecting the air entranceways as to avoid movement of air therethrough. with v`sufficient.iorce'to interfere with the .burning of the name.

' The :improved ame spreaderldisclosed herein also is provided with apertures in vthe -end-walls thereof which fare lof suchincreased proportions that they serve thevimportant 'functionI ofsupplying to the flame sufficient air to sustain-.the lburning thereoandthereby greatly reducefthe -likelihood that the lame Vwill be Vextinguished.

more, the body portion ofthe burner :is provided with apertures formed Iin `wall portions. thereof which Iaid in supplying tothe flame the oxygen necessary to sustain I'the f1ame,andin .permitting air to pass downwardly linto the oil font with which the burner is`associated. Y Fig. 1 fis a plan View of f the improved burner in vpositionon a lantern font.

Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of a fragment 'of'a Ilantern 4font havingfthe improved Vburner associated 'therewith,^porti'ons of vthe burnerfan'd a portionof` the lantern 'font being-'shown in vertical section. Y.

Fig. 3 'is an elevation of :the burner4 and a fragment of the font looking in the ,direction of the feathered arrow in F-ig.v2, a portion ofthe burner being shown invsection. f

` Fig. 4 visY a horizontal section on .line 4--4fof Fig. 2. y Y l v Fig.- l5 is-an `invertedplan vieWof thefimproved burner. v

4In thedrawing, wherein is shown for the -purpose of illustration, merel-y, one` embodiment of lthe invention, A designates a lantern font'offany ordinary'form, and `l-:de'signates-a burner "fitted to said font. Theburner includes awickttub'e b `within,whic'hr-a wickC is.,arranged.

At theupper Jend` 'of ther wick tube -ofplmy burner a cup-.shapediflamefspreader.D is zarranged,. thisflame spreader comprising abot- 5 ltomV member `1 :securedto thelwick tube,.:-rend walls 2, and side wallsx3,.-:the;:side walls v:preferably :being longerythan the end walls,xtherleby rendering lthe cupfshaped spreader iof .elonga,ted shape. In the side walls ofv thewspreader Vare apertures 4, preferably Aof elongatedshape', these apertures terminating in proximityfto thetop edgeswof `said `side walls and extending I:clown-- wardly to points near `the bottom of the spreader. The apertures 4` serve to admi-t :air .to x the vinterior of the spreader :D ina lateral direction through" the side-walls 3 to supply the necessary oxygen for 'support oifcombustion immediatelylabove the wick Aof the burner, notwithstanding lthe fact-that the wick termin-atesirat .L20

,they bottom'- y.of the kspreader whichl `extends thereabove.

i Thexspreader D, acts to spread `the .flame `.due

.toits `extension abovethefheight of theupper end of the burner wick., the flame beingfdrawn to `lthe ywalls 2 and 3 of the spreaden thereby enhancing the-.illuminatingpower. ofthe flame vabove. 4the spreader.

To `avoidV the ydirect Apassage -of air currents 'through flthe apertures 44. with such -force :as 30 might .interfere Withthe steadyburning .of the tures 4. .Thebaiewings nare outwardly from 'the top of the flame spreadenas described, and 40 downwardly preferably to -a horizontal 4 line throughthefburner at a lower level than the bottoms of the apertures 4. Consequently there is no opportunity for strong currents .of airjto, pass in ahorizontal course through the aper- 45 tures` 4, but, Aon the. contrary, all air entering the Ispreader through the apertures v4 must move ina-n upward course so as to pass beneath the baffle wings, and-such yair, by passing an up- `*ward course, assists materially not Vonly -in `550 supplying oxygen tothe burner -ame but also in maintaining 'a 'steady' ame.

The baille wings of my burner are preferably provided'with apertures 5 -s'o located as tofpermit the passage of va Ycertain amount of air 55 through the baiile wings when a lantern equipped with my burner is lowered suddenly in giving signals. Therefore, when a lantern is so moved, there can be no sudden rush of air through the apertures 4 in such quantity as to interfere with the proper burning of the flame within the flame spreader. As shown in Fig. 3, the apertures 5 are disposed in a lower horizontal plane than that in which the apertures 4 are located. For the purpose of stabilizing the baille wings so that they may not be bent from their proper inclined positions relative to the side Walls of the flame spreader, I provide each baffle wing with a supporting leg 5a suitably secured at its lower end to the-lower portion of the burner. A Y

The structure which comprises the flame spreader D, baille wings 5, and legs 5a is preferably stamped from a single sheet of metal, and this stamping is bent so as to produce a structure of the ,proper'shapa The arrangement of the lstructure referred to is such that each baille wing 5, at its opposite ends, is provided with inwardly extended flange portions 6, and at each end of the structure the inwardly extended flange portion' on the baille wing at one side of the structure overlaps the inwardly extended flange portion 6 on the baille wing at the opposite side of the structure, as shown at the points designated by the reference character 7 in Fig; 1. Also, at the opposite ends of the bottom member 1 of the flame spreader D, said bottom member is provided with portions 8 which are bent upwardly and across the top edges of the overlapping flange portions 6, and then downwardly in contact with the outer faces of the outermost flange portions. This arrangement provides the end walls 2 of the flame spreader, and as the portions 8 closely embrace the overlapping, inwardly extended flange portions 6 of the wings 5, a very rigid structure isr provided.

At opposite ends of the flame spreader the end `walls 2 produced by the associated flange portions 6 and portions 8 are notched, apertured, or otherwise cut away to provide openings 9. These openings are open at the top edges of the end walls 2 of the flame spreader and extend downwardly from said top edges, as shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The openings 9 are `of substantially greater dimensions than are similar openings shown in the patent to Louis C. Kuehner, No. 1,879,329 previously referred to herein, and these openings of increased proportions greatly increase the efciency of the burner, inasmuch as the larger openings permit a greater amount of air to be delivered to the point of combustion of the flame so as to reduce to a minimum the likelihood of the ame being accidentally extinguished. n

The improved burner B disclosed herein includes a body portion B' which `is in the form of an enclosed cylindrical chamber 10, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, said chamber including a bottom wall 10, an annular side wall l()b provided with a shoulder 10c, and a dome-shaped top Wall 10d which is secured in place by having its marginal edge portion crimped over an annular, horizontal flange 10e located at the top of the side wall 10". The wick tube b of the burner B is extended through the cylindrical chamber 10, said wick tube being passed through apertures in the top and'bottom walls ofv said cylindrical chamber, and being suitably secured to either or both of said walls. Extended transversely through the chamber 10 is a wick-adjusting element 11 which is rotatably supported in openings formed at diametrically opposed points of the side wall 10b of said cylindrical chamber. The wick-adjusting element is provided with an operating member 12 at its outer end, and fixed to the portion of said wick-adjusting element located within the chamber 10 is a pair of toothed wheels 13. Portions of the toothed wheels 13 are extended through slots 14 in the wall of the wick tube b and into said wick tube, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the teeth thereof bite into the wick C, and because of this arrangement the wick may be adjusted vertically by rotating the Wick-adjusting element 11. The slots formed in the wall of the wick tube are somewhat wider and longer than the portions of the toothed wheels which extend through said slots, for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

Formed through the top wall l0d of the cylindrical chamber 10 is a plurality of apertures 15, and formed through the bottoni wall 1()n of said cylindrical chamber is a plurality of apertures 16. The apertures 15 provide passageways through which air may pass into the interior of the cylindrical chamber 10, and the apertures 16 provide passageways through which air may pass from the interior of the chamber 10 into the interior of the font A. In the operation of the improved burner air passes through the apertures 15 downwardly into the chamber 10, and some of this air passes through the slots 14 in the wall of the wick tube and moves upwardly along the wick with the liquid fuel to the point of combustion of the flame.

Because of this arrangement an additional amount of oxygen is delivered to the point of combustion of the flame which aids in improving the quality and stability of the llame and reduces production of smoke. Also, the presence of the apertures in the bottom wall of the cylindrical chamber 10 permits air to pass'downwardly into the font A to replace fuel oil which is withdrawn therefrom by the burning of the flame.

I claim: f

' 1. A burner of the character described, comprising a hollow body portion, a wick tube supported by said hollow body portion, a cup-shaped flame spreader secured to said wick tube, baille wings flaring downwardly and outwardly .from the upper portions of the side Walls of said cupshaped flame spreader, said hollow body portion having one or more apertures formed in a wall thereof through which air may pass into the interior of said hollow body portion, and wickadjusting means having a portion extended through an opening formed in a wall portion of said wick tube which is located `within said body portion, said opening in said wall portion of said wick tube providing a passageway for air which moves from the interior of said body portion into the interior of said Wick tube and into contact with the` wick therein.

2. A burner of the character described, comprising a hollow body portion, a wick tube supported by said hollow' body portion, a cup-shaped flame spreader secured to said wick tube, baille wings flaring downwardly and outwardly from the upper portions of the side walls of said cupshaped flame spreader, said hollow body portion having one or more apertures formed in the top wall thereof through which air may pass into the interior of said hollow body portion, and wick-adjusting means having a portion extended through an opening formed in a wall portion of said wick tube which is located within said body portion, said opening in said wall portion of said wick tube providing a passageway for air which moves from the interior of said body portion into the interior of said wick tube and into contact with the wick therein.

3. A burner of the character described, comprising a hollow body portion, a wick tube supported by said hollow body portion, a cup-shaped ame spreader secured to said wick tube, baffle wings flaring downwardly and outwardly from the upper portions of the side walls of said cupshaped flame spreader, said hollow body portion having one or more apertures formed in the top wall thereof through which air may pass into the interior of said hollow body portion, and wickadjusting means having a portion extended through an opening formed in a wall portion of said wick tube which is located within said body portion, said opening in said wall portion of said wick tube providing a passageway for air which moves from the interior of said body portion into the interior of said wick tube and into contact with the wick therein, the bottom wall of said hollow body portion being provided with an opening through which air may pass from the interior of said body portion into a fuel font with which the burner is associated.

4. A burner of the character described, com prising a hollow body portion, a wick tube supported by said hollow body portion, a cup-shaped flame spreader secured to said wick tube, said flame spreader having end walls provided with apertures, baffle wings flaring downwardly and outwardly from the upper portions of the side walls of said cup-shaped ame spreader, said hollow body portion having one or more apertures formed in the top wall thereof through which air may pass into the interior of said hollow body portion, and wick-adjusting means having a portion extended through an opening formed in a wall portion of said wick tube which is located within said body portion, said opening in said wall portion of said wick tube providing a passageway for air which moves fromthe interior of said body portion into the interior of said wick tube and into Contact with the wick therein, the bottom wall of said hollow body portion being provided with an opening through which air may passfrom the interior of said body portion into a fuel font with which the burner is associated.

5. A burner of the character described, comprising a hollow body portion, a wick tube supported by said hollow body portion, a cup-shaped flame spreader secured to said wick tube, said ame spreader having end walls provided with apertures of increased dimensions, baffle wings flaring downwardly and outwardly from the upper portions of the side walls of said cup-shaped flame spreader, said hollow body portion having one or more apertures formed in the top wall thereof through which air may pass into the interior of said hollow body portion, and wickadjusting means having a portion extended through an opening formed in a wall portion of said wick tube which is located within said body portion, said opening in said wall portion of said 

